Voices from Oslo: Renting a flat in Oslo

Renting a flat in Oslo: My guide for navigating a tough market

by Lorelou Desjardins (11 July 2025)

Finding accommodation in Oslo has become increasingly challenging and expensive since 2020. Prices for rental properties have increased by 25% in the past 5 years and over 10,000 properties have disappeared from the rental market, increasing the pressure on the remaining flats to rent.

Loans being more expensive than they used to be, renting out properties has become less profitable, so many owners of second and third properties sell them. The few flats that are left on the market are in higher demand, and prices are also increasing due to the offer shortage of offer. Some owners even organise auctions for rentals, renting out to the highest bidder.

I have been living in Oslo for 15 years, and I have tested just about every option to rent an apartment, and I’d like to share my best tips, and help you avoid the biggest pitfalls.

Where to search for housing

The two main websites for finding a place to stay are finn.no (which means "find” in Norwegian) and hybel.no (with hybel translating broadly to a studio apartment or one-room flat, often connected to a full-size apartment that the owner rents out). Hybel.no traditionally has more shared apartments and single rooms, but also lists full apartments.

On both of these websites, you can tailor your search by area, price range, number of rooms, etc., and set alerts for new listings so you can be among the first to contact the owner and try to arrange a viewing.

I’ve personally always found flats through finn.no, and tried a lot of different techniques in the process. I remember sending dozens of messages to owners, already imagining myself living in their flats. But often they didn’t reply, or told me the place was rented, leaving me hopeless.

But do not worry, I have a golden tip for you...

Insider’s tip: Post your own ad!

This is the best tip I received when I moved here, and it has worked like a charm many times. Instead of only sending messages, you can post your own ad introducing yourself, adding a photo, stating your budget, and describing what you’re looking for and where.

Since Norway is a trust-based society, I’ve experienced firsthand that this builds trust with future owners, and they often contact you directly. Many owners also prefer this because they don’t want to deal with hundreds of inquiries.

I’ve visited many great flats this way, often being the only person at the viewing, which gave me the chance to say yes or no. Often, the flats I was invited to visit after posting my own ad, were part of a house where the owner lived, with an independent entrance and bathroom. (Note that these flats can be cheaper because owners don’t pay taxes on flats they rent out which are part of their primary residency).

I once lived in a wonderful flat for five years in Holmenkollen, with a garden and a view, for quite affordable rent, simply because I was the only one who visited, and got it.

What to watch out for

I’ve rented many flats in Oslo over 15 years living here, either alone, with flatmates, and in basement flats. I’ve also helped friends avoid pitfalls since I have a background in law, so I’ve been the go-to friend reading over housing contracts and giving advice to internationals when things go awry or when they have questions.

Here are the most common challenges, scams, and pitfalls to watch out for:

1) Pitfall: Transferring the deposit to a private account

It’s very common in Norway to have to pay a 3 months’ deposit for the apartment first. This should technically go into a special ‘deposit account’ created especially for these scenarios. But a lot of foreigners don’t know (or don’t have access to a personal number which gives them access to a bank account), so they transfer it to the owner’s personal account.

The most common pitfall is paying the deposit (usually 3 months’ rent) into the owner’s personal account.

With a deposit account, the owner can’t withdraw money without justification, and you get your deposit back (with interest!) at the end of the contract.

If you transfer the deposit to a private account, it’s much harder to recover your money if something happens, and the owner may decide unilaterally to deduct costs they believe you’re responsible for. Sometimes, tenants never see their deposit again.

2) Pitfall: Price of electricity

Most homes in Norway are heated with electricity , and prices have risen dramatically over the past five years. In some homes, bills can reach 8,000 NOK per month depending on size and insulation quality.

Check that your flat has its own electricity meter so you only pay for what you use. If electricity is included in the rent, make sure the cost is reasonable.

I had a friend who discovered after a year of living on the second floor of a house that the owner was charging her for electricity for the entire building without her knowledge!

3) Scam: Renting a home that does not exist

A common scam involves fake owners listing a flat on Finn.no. When you contact them, they claim they live abroad and can’t show you the flat. This might seem practical if you’re abroad yourself, but beware, it’s usually a bad sign.

They ask you to transfer the deposit and arrange to meet you at the flat, but when you arrive, you discover the property was never for rent, and the person did not own it. You’ve been scammed and lost your money.

If you are looking for accommodation from abroad and can’t go to see it, I recommend renting something temporary and finding a proper place once you are in Oslo and can visit the flats, meet owners in person and get a proper deposit bank account.

4) A challenge: No Bank ID

This isn’t a scam, but it’s a real challenge for many internationals who’ve just moved to Norway. Without Bank ID, you can’t be verified on Finn.no. Unverified users’ messages often go unseen or unread.

Contact Finn.no and ask them to verify your profile another way, for example, using your passport.

When moving to Norway in general, it’s a good idea to plan ahead for some things like BankID and other bureaucratic processes to take several months, so plan ahead, be patient, and remember that once you have a BankID and a personal number you are in the system and everything will become easier.

5) Tip: Use a standard approved contract

Serious landlords use standard contracts from Forbrukerrådet or Leieboerforeningen, which are reliable associations. Forbrukerrådet is the Consumer Protection Agency of Norway, and Leieboerforeningen is the association of tenants. These organisations know the laws and have written contracts that protect both tenants and landlords and include clauses to prevent issues like sudden rent increases. Forbrukerrådet has drafted a standard contract in English that you can use.

When you see ads on finn.no, serious landlords will write “using Forbrukerrådets contract” or there will be a mention of another standard contract they are using. No mention of any contract is a red flag, because landlords will then draft it according to their own interests. There are strict laws in Norway about when rents can be increased, of how much, and in which case a landlord may resign the contract, in which case a landlord an come in your home etc. All these rules are available for free online for example on this government website.

6) Tip: Become a member of Leieboerforeningen

It took me a while to understand this, but I strongly recommend that anyone renting in Oslo becomes a member of Leieboerforeningen, the Norwegian tenants’ association. Their website is translated to English. It has an excellent website with plenty of information about your rights and responsibilities as a tenant. They also offer legal help if needed. They’ve helped me many times when I needed it, and the membership is definitely worth paying for!

To conclude, I wish you the best of luck when it comes to finding accommodation. Yes it has become more difficult, but it is still feasible and the most important is to have knowledge on how to navigate the market. Good luck!

Norwegian vocab lesson

Here are some words you will most likely come across during the apartment hunt:
• Visning – private or public viewing
• Leilighet – flat
• Hybel – studio apartment (one room)
• 2-roms – apartment with one bedroom and one living room
• 3-roms – apartment with two bedrooms and one living room
• Kollektiv – shared apartment
• Bad – bathroom
• Balkong – balcony
• Strøm inkludert – electricity is included
• Å leie – to rent
• Å eie – to own
• Garasjeplass – parking spot
• Langtidsleie – long-term rental
• Korttidsleie – short-term rental
• Heis – lift
• Møblert – with furniture
• Ikke møblert – without furniture
• Sokkeleilighet – flats typically under houses, usually with little access to light

Read more from Welcome to Oslo:

• Renting a home in Oslo: If you're new to Oslo and planning to rent a home, this guide covers everything from finding a place to understanding your rights as a tenant.
• Oslo's housing market: Understand price levels, neighborhoods, and where to find reliable housing statistics and support.
• Voices from Oslo: "What I wish I knew before buying a home": an international in Norway shares 3 things she learned from buying an apartment in Oslo.